Tanah Pasundan

The island area of Tanah Pasundan is mostly mountainous and is blessed with fertile soil resulting from volcanic explosions hundred of years ago, making it very rich in minerals. Coffee and tea plantations, vegetable farms are abundant, especially in the area of Lembang. Rice fields occupy most of the area Cianjur, Garut and Sumedang. High rainfall also makes this area much cooler than the rest of West Java. Some towns are surrounded by still active volcanoes. Bandung and the highlands surrounding the city are also called Bumi Parahyangan, meaning ‘the Abode of the Gods’ As in most similar topographical areas waterfalls and hot springs can be found in many places making it attract many tourists, as a result a hue number of resorts and retreat places sprout like soaked greenbeans.

The history

The famous Sundanese king was Sri Baduga Maharaja who ruled the Hindu kingdom of Pajajaran around the15 th century. His successor was defeated by the Moelem army of Banten during its invasion in 1579. After the arrival of the Dutch, things changed drastically. In 1620 Dutch traders founded the East India Company (VOC) to monopolize the spice trade. VOC was allowed to acquire Parahyangan by the current King in return for its favour in helping him to ascend the throne. In 1799 VOC went bankrupt and the Dutch government took over. The monopoly of the spice trade was expanded to the East. In 1808 the appointed Governor General, Daendels, ordered the construction of a 1,000 km road from Anyer in West Java to Panarukan at the end of East Java. This project took the lives of over 30,000 Javanese coolies in forced labour. When the French took hold of the Netherlands, the British under Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles ruled Java for a short period of time from 1811 to1815. The man who later on founded the famous city of Singapore was also responsible for shaping Pasundan area.

The people

The Sundanese people are known as very friendly and soft spoken. The women, especially from Parahyangan area, in local dialect called Mojang Priangan, or ladies of Parahyangan, are well known for their beauty and they have lighter complexions. It is believed that their diet of raw vegetables result in them having healthy skin and slim figures. They speak in the singsong lilt of the Sundanese dialect. The dialect itself is divided into several levels where respectful terms are used by younger people when speaking to an elder person. The people from Bandung and its vicinity are said to speak in a certain modulation and finer Sundanese dialect than those from the other areas. People in the North Coast, Cirebon area, speak in slightly different dialect. It has the influence of Javanese dialect. Their skin a shade darker and they are also bolder in the manner of speaking compared to those from Parahyangan.

The way of life

The majority of Sundanese are agricultureal people. The hard working farmers play the most important role making Tanah Pasundan the source of most agriculture and dairy produce supplied to Jakarta and other areas of West Java. Pelabuhan Ratu and Pangandaran areas have developed into tourist spots. Like their counterparts in Anyer they earn their living from sea produce or working at the ever growing tourist facilities. People in the city of Bandung, as in other big cities work at various trades.

How to get there

Buses are available from Jakarta to most towns in West Java. Trains serve the routes to Rangkasbitung, Cirebon, Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur, Bandung up to Garut and Tasikmalaya. To reach a remote area one can transit at a nearby larger town and take a smaller bus.The capital city of Bandung can be reached in several ways. For the fastest and the most convenient mode of transportation, daily flights are available from Soekarno Hatta airport. The train from Gambir station takes around 3 hours. If you prefer to travel at leisure, rent a car and drive via Puncak. If you would rather avoid traffic in the Bogor-Puncak, take the Cikampek toll road and the scenic Subang-Lembang route. Buses which are more economical depart from Kampung Rambutan terminal.

The Capital City of Bandung

When the Dutch planned to relocate the capital from Batavia to Bandung, it underwent a sudden boom and the population increased. Considering themselves as an upper class society, the Dutch community insisted on keeping themselves up-to date with European lifestyles. To support this high fashion standart it was necessary to have some kind of “Champs de Ellyses”, and Jl. Braga was the result. A shopping lane complete with theatre with the latest movies. Bandung then, became famous as “Paris van Java”. The city parks and gardens with blooming flowers made Bandung also famous as the “Flower City”. Bandung also became the center of education, with best “ITB” (Institute Teknologi Bandung) located right in the center of the elite area of Bandung. Today ITB produces qualified engineers and several graduates of the arts faculty are knowledged as famous commercial artists. The aircraft factory of IPTN has sold a number of aircraft overseas. Bosscha Astronomical Observatory in Lembang installed in 1923 and still functions as Astronomy Research Center. Technology is not the only science that Bandung can boast, Lembaga Pasteur, or Pasteur’s Institute, where the rabies serum and smallpox vaccine were researched and developed, is also located in Bandung.

Where to stay

Bandung has quite number of modern places of accommodation. Most star hotels are located in the center of the city or on the famous Jl. Dago (renamed Jl. Juanda). For budget hotela try the streets around the train station, and Melati hotels on Jl. Pasteur  or Jl. Cipaganti.
Some of the star hotels are Grand Preanger and Savoy Homann on Jl. Asia Africa, right in the center of the city. Papandayan on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Sheraton Inn and Jayakarta Suite on Jl. Juanda and Panghegar on Jl. Merdeka.

Where to eat

It seems the foreign cuisines have also invaded Bandung. Western, Japanese and fast food restaurants on Jl. Setiabudi, or on Jl. Sukajadi (which also has Korean restaurant), is proof. You can find a Thai restaurant on Jl. Braga, while the favourite place for Chinese is on Jl. Gardu Jati. At night, numerous stall inhabit the street sides. The Sundanese dishes are considered as mild. For those who enjoy the spicy stuff there is always sambal as a side dish to go with whatever you order. Most Sundanese restaurants have  gold fish in their menus, with different way of cooking it, fried, roasted or pepes (wrapped in spices and banana leaves, then steamed).

Shopping

Jl. Braga still serve as a shopping lane, here you can find a couple of antique shops, some shops from the colonial days are still there. Another shopping street is along Jl. A. Yani. A modern shopping center, Bandung Indah Plaza is located on Jl. Merdeka. If you care for browsing, the area of Alun-Alun will give you some idea on how the local people shop and bargain. If you are a T-shirt & jeans person, go to Jl. Cihampelas. Row of shops wit hilarious exterior design, each with real loud, loud speaker blasting different pop music, are quite exhilarating. Cibaduyut is famous for its shoes, but you may have to look hard for the desired quality. For batik, souvenirs and handicraft there is Sarinah Department Store on Jl. Braga.

Geological Museum- Jl. Diponegoro
It is one the largest geological museums in Southeast Asia. It was built in 1926 and houses numerous fossil, including skull replica of Java Man (the original of which was escavated from East Java), models of volcanoes and others pertinent to geology. The museum is closed in the afternoon and on Sundays or public holidays.

Gedung Sate- Jl. Diponegoro
This building is synonymous with Bandung and was used as the seat of the Dutch government during its occupation. It now serves as the office of the Governor of Java. The pointed structure at the top resembles sate or satay, the Indonesian shish kebab.

Gedung Merdeka- Jl. Asia Africa
Formerly known as the Concordia Club, the building is where the Dutch high society and the members of the aristocracy spent their evenings for entertainment. Renamed Gedung Merdeka or Liberty Building after Independence, the building witnessed the Asia Africa Conference initiated by Indonesia’s first President, Soekarno.

Other colonial buildings.

Hotel Savoy Homann on Jl. Asia Africa, was the first hotel in Bandung and was built by German immigrant. The building underwent reconstruction following the Art Deco style of that period and was completed in 1939. During the Asia Africa Conference the place served as accommodation for the heads of states who attended the conference.

Hotel Grand Preanger was constructed in 1889 and also underwent redesigning. It is located across the street from the Hotel Savoy Homann. As time went by, the building was enlarged and now is much bigger than it originally was.

Villa Isola or Bumi Siliwangi  on Jl. Setiabudi. Wolf Schoemaker who was responsible for designing Gedung Merdeka and Grand Preanger created this unique architecture at the request of an Italian millionaire. Since it was built in much later in 1932, it combines the modern style.